Dimire
by Nimbril
Summary: A shieldsmaiden of Beleriand is constantly overcome with weariness and grief.
1. The Beginning

(I do not own any of the characters mentioned that are in published or copyrighted works....Also many of these characters are shared with another user who helped me write this story...)  
  
Lirimaer bore to Gayaer a son, they named him Morimaite. Morimaite had dark hair and deep green eyes. After Morimaite was born Gayaer became more kind and generous. He had trade with the dwarves and it increased after the birth of Morimaite. Two years after Morimaite was born, Lirimaer gave birth to another child. It was a girl and Gayaer was disappointed that it was not another son but Dimire's gentle face and golden hair made him love her just as he would a son. Gayaer taught both of his children to fight and to ride horses. Dimire always would tend to the horses and care for them. When she was 10 her father gave to her a horse he had found wandering by the river Mindeb. The horse had shimmering gray hair and its eyes were deep brown. She named the horse Sindaweth, Gray Shadow. Dimire rode Sindaweth whenever she could and stopped practicing with the sword. But Morimate continued and grew strong. Gayaer grew angry at his son's strength and refused to teach him anything further. Morimate then became interested in the ways of the earth and his mother began to teach him of the forest and all that she had known. Gayaer grew jealous again at their closeness. He then decided that Morimate had grown to powerful and took him deep into the forest after Morimaite's eleventh birthday. Gayaer, saying nothing, drew his sword and attempted to kill Morimaite, but Morimaite was too quick and took up his sword with a great cry of fear and killed his father. Morimate was filled with fear and anger and began to weep. Dimire had been tending to Sindaweth when she heard a loud cry from the forest and knew that it was Morimaite. And she then leapt on to Sindaweth and rode towards the cry. By the time she reached her brother he had already started to walk back home. She then saw in her brother's hand his sword with blood on it and was in fear. "Brother, what has happened? Why is there blood on your sword? Is father in need of help?" she asked him in haste. Morimate replied, "No sister, father is in no need of help. Go back to our home and tell mother I will be there shortly." But Dimire would not leave. "Where is father? What has happened here? " She asked and then jumped off of her horse and ran to where Gayaer lay. Morimate came after her and placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "He made me, Dimire. Now go, I will bury him. " She stood, with tears in her eyes and ran back to their home and when she arrived her mother came out and looked at Dimire's tear stained face and came to her. She questioned what was wrong but Dimire would say nothing but wept. Morimate came back when the sun was setting and when Lirimaer looked into the eyes of her children she knew all that had befallen. 


	2. Teen years

Lirimaer decided for them to go to Doriath and to ask the king for shelter. Dimire did not wish to live in Doriath where she was not as free as she was in Mindeb but went at her mother's request. They took what little they could and left for Doriath. They quickly became enmeshed in the mazes of the Girdle of Melian but were found and led to Doriath by scouts of the King but not before a host of orcs had found them. Lirimaer was shot in the leg by an orc arrow. Lirimaer, Morimate, and Dimire were quickly brought before Thingol and Melain in their great hall. The Lord and Lady of Doriath warmly welcomed them. Dimire tended to her mother, but little she could do. Melian came with herbs from the forest and it seemed to cure her for a time. Morimate stayed with Lirimaer and Dimire until she had gotten better (or seemed as though she was). Then he left and was taught more skill by Mablung and rarely did he return to Menegroth. Once Lirimaer was able to move about on her own, Dimire would go riding again in the forests. She would often spend more than a day there. One day when she took Sindaweth to Esgalduin to get some water, Sindaweth became frightened by the rapid water and knocked Dimire down into the river. Dimire was still a child and could not overcome the water. But Nellas was near that day and saw what had happened. She quickly dived into the water and brought out Dimire. Dimire had been hit on the head by a rock and had been unconscious. Nellas tended to her, and when Dimire awoke Nellas told her of what had happened, for Dimire had forgotten. They became friends then, and often Dimire would seek out Nellas. For she taught her many things. But in the late spring, Lirimaer had become sick again and Dimire did not visit Nellas or the forest. Lirimaer had gotten worse than she had been and many feared for her. A note was then sent to Morimate and he came at once to his mother, and in the night after Morimaite's arrival, Lirimaer Daughter of Olwe died. Morimate was filled with sorrow and wept. Dimire was also sad but no tear did she shed. Morimate looked up at her as he cried, "Sister, why do you not weep? Our mother is dead and you weep not," he said to her. Dimire then stood tall and walked from the room, and she did not speak to anyone in Doriath from then on. 


	3. Golden Helm

After many years of her silence, she decided to join her brother in fighting. When night had come, she packed up the few things she could, including the golden helm of her father, and went to the stables and rode from Menegroth on Sindaweth. She rode north along the Sirion; she came to Anfauglith and fog was all about her. Bodies of the fallen Elves, Men, and Orcs lay about. Sindaweth became frightened and kicked Dimire off and she fell to the ground. A band of orcs heard the noise and soon Dimire was surrounded by orcs. She drew her sword and killed many of the orcs but she was over whelmed and they captured her, for they thought she was a man, and took her to Angband. As Dimire approached the Gates of Angband, she saw her brother lying against a rock. She was filled with rage and forced the orcs from her and she killed them. She ran to her brother and lifted him from where he lay and took him as far as she could carry him. She laid him down on the hard ground, trying to awaken him but he would not move. Sindaweth had followed Dimire and came next to her and Dimire lifted Morimaite onto the horse and Dimire rode as fast as she could to Anfauglith. She rode to the top of a hill and she dug a hole deep into the hill. She placed her brother there, with his sword in his hands. Dimire covered the hole, and she rode away east towards Lothlann. She passed through the March of Maedhros, which was bleak and empty. Dimire was exhausted, for she had not rested since she buried Morimaite. When she came to Little Gelion she fell off her horse and lay on the bank of the river. A Noldorian archer who had help defend the March of Maedhros was near and came to Dimire and removed her helm. He was surprised that the fallen warrior was a woman but he put water on her face and she awoke quickly. She reached for her sword but he put his hand up and spoke softly to her, "It is alright. I mean no harm to you, for I saw you lying on the ground and wished to help you." Dimire put her sword away and kneeled by the river and washed her face. He went and gathered some wood to build a fire. After the fire was built he sat by it looking at Dimire, who sat silently by Sindaweth. "I am Arater. I helped defend this land with the Sons of Feanor, but orcs have overrun it and I am now a wanderer." He said to Dimire and waved to her to sit by the fire. Dimire sat across from him; "I am Dimire, daughter of Gayaer, sister of Morimaite. I came North to fight along side my brother in the Nirneath but Orcs overcame me, and as they took me to Angband I saw my brother. After I killed the orcs and buried my brother I wandered southeast for 2 days," she replied to him. Soon Dimire fell asleep and Arater watched over their camp.  
  
Dimire awoke early in the morning, before the sun had risen. Arater had fallen asleep near the camp and Dimire quietly rode away East on Sindaweth. She crossed Gelion, when she came to the banks of Thargelion she saw an orc camp close to her. The orcs soon spotted her and came after her. Dimire rode into the orcs and killed many but she was soon knocked off of her horse but she still fought them. Dimire was knocked against a tree by a large orc and the orc held his spear high, ready to strike when an arrow pierced it. Arater came running to Dimire's side, "Trouble seems to follow you, Daughter of Gayaer," he said to her. "Ah but I manage my way out of it, " she replied with a smirk. Arater led Dimire away from the orcs by secret paths and they came to a cave hidden by a waterfall that flowed into Gelion. Dimire had many wounds and Arater tended to her. As she sat against the cave walls she asked him "How did you find me?" "You are quite easy to track. This land is rarely trodden. And I saw your golden helm shine when I crossed the river," he replied as he finished wrapping her wounds. Dimire and Arater stayed there for awhile but Dimire was restless and wanted to explore more of East Beleriand. Arater led her over Gelion by secret bridges built by the Noldor long ago. Dimire and Arater grew to be great friends and together they defended the land of northeast Beleriand. Dimire was named the Golden Helm of the East but none knew that she was a woman. Dimire and Arater helped protect Estolad as well and protected what was left of the people of Haleth. News of the Golden Helm came to Doriath and Thingol sent many messengers to Dimire asking her to come join his forces but she refused. 


End file.
